Summer 2024

Unsolved Mystery: The Legendary CHAMPS Cat

By Gabriella Moceri and Alicia Avalos

Champ on the prowl. (Credit: Alicia Avalos)

Ella: When I first met Champ, I was walking up to the third floor parking garage with my sister Ana. We were stopped at the entrance to the stairwell by a trio of sophomores gathered around a gray cat with yellow green eyes. One of them was petting it. Ana loves cats, so she immediately ran over to the cat, who came right up to her. Before I could ask, one of the students said, “It’s Champ.”

Alicia: When I first met the CHAMPS cat I was walking to the stairs in the parking garage with Stone, we were greeted by a wide eyed little creature who was trying to climb into the PE wagon. When we greeted Champ it walked right up to us, what a friendly cat!

Champ hangs out with students. (Photos of Stone Edwards and Alicia Avalos, Credit: Alicia Avalos)

Ella: Before I knew it, I was hearing stories about “The CHAMPS Cat” at lunch, in the hallways, and during class. A new instagram, @champs.cat.page, appeared and became a digital documentation of the cat and its fanbase. Some people said it was the new mascot of CHAMPS.

Alicia: Everyday I would keep an eye out for Champ. Stone and I would look for it before PE together and had many encounters with our newfound friend. Word about our furry friend spread quickly throughout the CHAMPS community! If you hadn’t heard of the sweet gray cat in the parking lot you’d have to be living under a rock! Plenty of the student body had unforgettable interactions with this miniature panther. The CHAMPS cat page got many submissions of Champ to post! Everyone was excited when you'd bring up Champ the cat!

Champ loves Ana. Ana loves Champ. (Photo of Anamaria Moceri, Credit: Gabriella Moceri)

Ella: The largest rumor I heard about Champ was that it had rabies. I suspected that it probably didn’t, but it turns out there was no way to know for sure just by looking at it. Despite the images of foam-mouthed creatures often seen on TV, there are few surefire signs that a creature has rabies. Therefore, when dealing with stray animals, it's important to take cautionary measures.

Alicia: Champ is an incredibly friendly cat, people were able to pick it up and hold it without any resistance. This friendly cat will walk up to strangers and let them pet it. This caused an unsafe environment for both Champ and friendly humans who wanted to pet it; Champ was hanging around a plethora of cars and people which was very dangerous. Injuries were very possible in the time when it made the CHAMPS parking lot its habitat. Be careful when petting stray cats, they could be carrying bloodsucking pests or the animal could get sick. If you do happen to pet a stray cat, always be sure to sanitize your hands or anything else the cat touched probably right after. 

Champ with the authors. (Credit: Alicia Avalos)

Ella: After a few more encounters with Champ, we were inspired to write this article. We knew we needed to raise awareness of this adorable cat in our midst. 

Alicia: And then it disappeared…. Wherever could this graphite-colored feline have wandered off to? 🐾